


Burning Up For You

by cherryredriots



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Bets & Wagers, Domestic Fluff, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Humor, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Intimacy, M/M, Mutual Pining, Nightmares, Pet Names, Post-Canon, Sharing a Bed, Slow Burn, completely self-indulgent, me writing this: i'm gonna give myself everything i want, will update tags as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:48:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25375681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherryredriots/pseuds/cherryredriots
Summary: In order to win a lifetime supply of pizza, Galo asks Lio to fake date him for three months.Lio, despite himself, says yes.
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35





	Burning Up For You

The silence makes Lio’s ears ring.

No longer does the perpetual noise of the Promare fill his head, urging, _begging,_ him to burn brighter, burn stronger. No longer do the voices that he’s come to acknowledge as a part of himself call out and in their place, there’s only silence and a hole that Lio is sure will never be filled again.

Fortunately for Lio, he isn’t left to dwell on the quiet in his head for long, as the firefighting idiot decides to open his mouth and fill that silence with his booming voice declaring, “Let’s go home!”

Lio can’t help the venom that spits from his mouth as he snaps, “I don’t have a home anymore.” _The Promare and the Burnish are my home_ is left unsaid, but hangs heavy between them.

Galo takes a moment to look over at Lio, quirking his eyebrow before settling a hand on Lio’s shoulder. “You do now,” he claims and it makes anger rip through Lio. If the Promare were still residing inside him, he knows that he would have combusted into technicolor flames and burnt everything around them to ash.

“No!” he cries, turning to face Galo and jamming a finger into his bare chest. “You don’t get to make that decision for me! Stop acting like you know anything about me or what I need!”

Crossing his arms over his chest in an act of defiance, Galo scoffs. “Did you forget that we just became one to pilot the Galo de Lion, heart, body, and soul? I know _exactly_ what’s goin’ on up there,” he asserts, poking Lio’s forehead. “And you’re going to need to be well-rested to help the Burnish rebuild, so you’re coming home with me and you’re gonna sleep in my nice, comfortable bed, and that’s final.”

“I _said_ no, Galo,” Lio grits out from behind clenched teeth.

“Okay, then.” Before Lio can get another word in edgewise, Galo has an arm around his waist and is throwing Lio over his shoulder.

After the shock of the action wears off, Lio screeches out, “Put me down, Galo Thymos!” as he beats his fists against Galo’s muscular back.

“Nope, you’re not going anywhere, firebug. Not until you get some rest. We’ll discuss the living situation tomorrow after we both get some well-deserved sleep.”

“You’re going to regret this,” Lio seethes.

“Yeah, yeah,” Galo says like he’s talking to a misbehaving child throwing a tantrum and it makes Lio’s anger burn even brighter.

He’s about to unleash a flurry of insults at Galo’s back, when suddenly, he hears, “Boss!” and everything but the call of his trusted generals fades away.

“Galo, let me down!” he cries out, immediately thrashing even harder than before as he calls out Meis and Gueira’s names.

Galo stops walking, obviously understanding that this is important to Lio, even more important than Lio getting some much-needed rest. “Are you gonna behave?” he asks, hand on his hip.

“ _Ugh_ , yes,” Lio relents, letting his body slump in Galo’s arms.

Galo grins and exclaims, “Thata boy, Lio!” as he gingerly lets Lio down, making sure Lio’s feet are properly on the ground before letting go of him completely.

Lio straightens up with an indignant sniff and turns to face his generals, who waste no time in snatching him up in a crushing hug. “Oh my god, boss, are you okay?” Gueira cries, making a show of looking over Lio from head to toe like a worried mother. “We thought we’d lost you!”

And with those five simple words, all the anger and fight rushes out of Lio, leaving him feeling nothing but exhausted. “You almost did,” he murmurs, a tired smile tugging at his lips as he turns to look at Galo. “Galo saved me.”

Meis and Gueira’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise and they both look beyond Lio’s shoulder at the firefighter, each giving Galo a nod of thanks to which Galo just smiles sheepishly as he rubs the back of his neck and replies with a humble, “It’s what anyone would have done.”

Lio meets Meis’ eyes and sees something akin to incredulity there, no doubt thinking the same thing as Lio— _Not everyone would have saved the Mad Burnish boss if given the chance_ —but neither choose to voice the sentiment, allowing Galo to close the distance between him and the group and change the subject.

“I already told Lio he can stay with me until things settle and I’d offer the same for you guys, but I only have one couch and my apartment is tiny. The station has sleeping quarters for overnight shifts though, and I bet the captain wouldn’t mind you guys staying there until we sort out living arrangements!” he offers, already calling out to Ignis before the others can reject the proposition, jogging over to the group of firefighters and leaving Lio alone with his generals.

“Don’t worry about us, boss.”

“What makes you think I’m worrying?” Lio huffs, crossing his arms defensively and narrowing his eyes at Meis.

“Because we know _you_ and you never stop worrying. It’s practically written in your DNA.”

“Yeah, you’ve got nothing to worry about! We’re scrappy, boss! We always figure shit out, you know that,” Gueira chips in, smirking as he settles a hand on Meis’ waist and pulls him close.

Lio lets out a weary sigh, eyes cutting over to where Galo is talking to Ignis, hands gesticulating enthusiastically. “How can I go stay in some nice, cushy apartment while you two go stay with some strangers that were just trying to arrest us not two weeks ago and sleep on some shitty bunk beds in a fire station? What kind of leader would that make me if I let that happen?”

“Lio,” Meis starts and his name sounds awkward, _wrong_ , in Meis’ mouth, “you’re not our leader anymore. I hate to say it and it hurts me just as much as it hurts you, but the Burnish are gone now. There’s no one left for you to lead. It’s a brave new world out there now and it’s time you finally start doing something for _yourself_ for once in your life. So, go with the blue-haired idiot and rest up. Tomorrow, we’ll be right by your side to fight our new fight.”

“But—”

“No buts, boss,” Gueira asserts. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

And with that, Gueira and Meis leave Lio to join the group of firefighters at the edge of the Parnassus, hand in hand. The firefighters greet them with kindness, Ignis extending a hand to shake and a “Welcome to the team, boys.” They both shake Ignis’ hand and turn around to wave goodbye to Lio before following the firefighters off the side of the ship.

Galo waves an arm over his head at their retreating forms, then once they’re out of sight, turns his attention back to Lio. “You ready to go?” he asks.

Lio gives the sunrise behind him one final look, facing their new beginning with his head held high, and nods. “Yeah, let’s go,” he says, then walks to the edge of the downed ship and swings a leg over, the heel of his boot clinking musically against the dark metal.

Galo offers a hand to Lio to assist his voyage down the side of the Parnassus and Lio reluctantly takes it when his foot slips from its hold and he nearly falls. He pointedly does not admire the way that Galo’s muscles flex and move as he supports Lio’s weight, instead focusing on keeping his balance and getting to the ground.

When the two’s feet finally touch earth once more, Galo lets go of Lio’s hand and immediately Lio mourns the warmth of Galo’s palm pressed against his. Much like he mourns the warmth that used to burst from these palms with the flick of a wrist.

“I don’t have my bike, so we’re gonna have to walk. My apartment isn’t too far from here, though!”

Lio, still craving the warmth that Galo seems to emanate and generating his own heat upon his face at that admission, simply nods and falls in step with Galo, maybe a little closer than he normally would. Galo instantly starts rambling about the battle and firefighting and Matoi and _oh, hey, I should talk to Lucia about designing mech that looks like the Galo de Lion!_ and Lio can’t help the small smile that graces his lips as he listens intently.

As Galo talks, his face lights up and his eyes sparkle with a fire that could rival the Promare. Lio finds himself watching Galo from the corner of his eye, unable to tear his gaze away from the sight. He watches, enamored, as Galo talks animatedly with his hands, ducking when one of the wild arms nearly whacks him upside the head. Galo doesn’t notice, doesn’t even miss a beat as he continues his story and Lio catches himself laughing under his breath despite the looming situation and the horrors they just faced together.

Lio gets so caught up in Galo’s babbling that he doesn’t even realize they’ve made it to Galo’s apartment until Galo pulls out a key to unlock the door. “Welcome to casa de Galo!” he says, swinging open the door that hits the wall with a dull thud.

Lio raises an eyebrow, stifling another laugh, and walks into the small apartment littered with firefighter memorabilia and empty pizza boxes. “Sorry, I would have cleaned up if I’d known I was having company. Or wasn’t in jail,” Galo explains, letting out an awkward laugh as he picks up the pizza boxes and deposits them into the trash can in the kitchen.

“I literally lived out in the desert, Galo,” Lio reminds him to ease the bit of tension that seems to have taken hold of the idiot. Galo gives him a strange look as if he’s not sure what to make of Lio and laughs again, this time more genuine and sounds almost like a thanks.

“Anyway, you can sleep in my bed until we can get you your own! My couch is super comfortable, so I don’t mind sleeping here!”

After taking a seat on the couch, Lio lets out a huff of a laugh. “You’re a liar, Galo Thymos.” The couch is obviously old; its cushions are lumpy and the fabric is nearly worn through in some places. It’s barely tolerable to sit on, let alone _sleep_ on—Lio knows sleeping on the thing will only result in an aching back and a firefighting idiot unfit for fighting fires. “You can’t sleep here.”

“Sure I can!” Galo huffs, waving a hand dismissively.

He opens his mouth, no doubt about to spew some ridiculous claims about his burning firefighter soul, so Lio cuts him off with a, “Don’t be an idiot. We’ll just share.”

“Share?” Galo parrots, cocking his head.

“Don’t make a big deal out of it,” Lio grumbles, cutting his eyes away from Galo as his cheeks burn bright. “It’ll just be until I get enough money to buy my own bed.”

“Lio,” Galo sighs, plopping down next to Lio on the couch, jostling him. “There’s no way I’m making you pay for your own bed. Let me pay for it! You’ve been on the run your entire life, it’s the least I can do.”

“That’s not happening, Galo,” Lio scoffs.

“But you don’t even have a job!” He throws his hands in the air dramatically. “Unless you wanna work with us at the station; I bet Ignis would let you on the team if you wanted.” It’s as if Galo was working the idea out aloud and once the words left his mouth, he nods, seemingly satisfied with his thought.

“That,” Lio pauses, weighing the offer in his mind, “would be great, if Ignis doesn’t mind a former arson terrorist on his squad.”

“He won’t mind!” Galo cries, his eyes alight.

“We’ll let him decide that tomorrow,” Lio offers when Galo whips out his phone and starts to dial a number. “Let’s let him rest for now, we’ve all had a long day.”

Jutting a lip out in a pout, Galo slides the phone back into his pocket. “Yeah, you’re right,” he sighs. “My burning soul is just so stoked to be working with you more, I wanna start now!”

At that, Lio lets out a good-natured laugh, rolling his eyes. “You are an idiot, Galo Thymos.”

“An idiot you like?” Galo teases, flashing a grin.

“Jury’s still out.”

“Mean.”

“Just speaking the truth.”

“Very mean,” Galo pouts, then lets out a boisterous laugh, his whole body shaking with it. Lio lets himself indulge as he watches Galo’s defined abdominal muscles flex and move, watches Galo’s Adam’s apple bob as he throws his head back. With a soft, weary sigh, Lio accepts the thing that’s been nagging at his brain since they piloted the Galo de Lion.

He’s got a crush.

Well, fuck.

* * *

A scream tight in his throat, Lio bolts upright in bed, chest heaving. Sweat beads on his forehead and slides down his back and there’s a tremor in his hands that a handful of deep breaths can’t settle. Lio folds his knees in towards his chest and wraps his arms around them, resting his head on his folded forearms as he keeps breathing, in and out, in and out.

Flashes of his nightmare play on loop behind his eyelids and he swears he can feel the phantom grip of fire burning his arm to ash and the wind carrying the embers of his life up into the air and away from his body. He runs a hand over his right arm just to verify that it’s still there, that _he’s_ still there, but it does little to quell the dread bearing down on him.

As quietly as he can manage, Lio stands on trembling legs, the cold floor biting his bare feet, and silently makes his way across the room to slip out into the living room. Once free from the worry of waking the still sleeping Galo, Lio lets out a shaky breath and crosses the room to slide open the balcony door.

Lio steps out into the cool night and takes a lungful of brisk air, trying his best to calm his still racing heart. “I’m safe. I’m alive. I’m okay,” he speaks into the night, hoping that if he repeats the mantra enough times, he’ll start to believe it.

He’s on his fifth recitation of the six words when the door behind him slides open, revealing a bare-chested Galo with disheveled hair. “Lio?” he asks, stifling a yawn behind his hand.

“Who else would it be?” Lio tries at a teasing tone, but it falls flat and only makes the worry evident on Galo’s face become more pronounced.

“What are you doing out here, firebug? It’s late. You should be sleeping.”

“Just needed some fresh air,” Lio lies, not wanting to reveal to Galo the real reason he’s out here instead of curled up in the bed with him. “Nothing to worry about.”

“I always worry about you,” Galo murmurs, his eyebrows knitting together. “You know I’m here for you for whatever, right? Through fire and flame, I’ve got your back.”

Letting out a sigh, Lio looks down at his hands. “Someday,” he promises, “but not today.”

Galo nods, his face resolute. “Okay.” He joins Lio as he leans over the railing and looks out into the neon city. “The city sure is beautiful at night, huh? I can see why you came out here,” he offers conversationally as he runs a hand up and down Lio’s back and Lio melts.

How he got blessed with such a stubborn, golden-hearted idiot, he’ll never know. Galo is too good for Lio and everything he does just serves to prove it. “Yes, it is,” he whispers, then, “Thank you, Galo.”

Galo raises an eyebrow as he tilts his head to look at Lio. “For what?”

“Everything.”

Galo smiles, bathed in the purples and blues of the neon night. “Anytime, firebug.”

**Author's Note:**

> you can follow me on my main [twitter](https://twitter.com/cherryredriots) if you'd like!! or on my side promare [account](https://twitter.com/spillthethymos)!!


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